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Lisbon in Nov/Dec - multiple questions

Hello,
My husband and I are finally rebooking our trip that was cancelled in the spring of 2020. At the time, we had planned 10 days covering Lisbon/Porto/Algarve/Evora. We don't have the energy to recreate that trip. We are in our late 50's and felt much younger in 2020 when we planned that 10 day trip . This time, we will focus our stay in the Lisbon area. We would be traveling in late November/early December arriving on a Sunday and departing the following Saturday. I have multiple questions. that I hope I can get some help on.

I am thinking of staying 4 nights Sun- Wed in Lisbon and Thurs and Friday in Caiscais. I understand that it will be winter but I love the ocean and the Albatroz hotel looks amazing. I expect to explore Lisbon for the first three days and then either Thursday or Friday explore Sintra and wind down in Caiscais before flying home on Saturday. I read somewhere that there is an airport express out of Caiscais. I hope that is still true.

We enjoy walking about and finding interesting shops, places to eat or get afternoon drinks and talk to the bar tender once in a while to hear about local life. We love scenery. I look forward to Sintra, cabo de Roca and exploring Belem and some of the lookouts.

Also, trying to decide between the Hotel da Baixa and an airbnb. Huge price difference obviously. I like that the hotel has breakfast and a bar that we could take a night cap and just go up to our room. The airbnb would offer more space and maybe a less touristy feel. Hotel or airbnb?

Is it easy to get to Evora from Lisbon without renting a car? We even have credit at a B&B in Evora that we had booked the last time but not sure we would have enough time to overnight.

Are the Christmas markets open at the end of November in Lisbon?

Any other ideas that may be suggested that I probably have not considered would be welcome. Does my plan make some sense?

Thank you so much for any recommendations you may offer.

Posted by
11175 posts

I would spend a night in Evora instead of Caiscais. Caiscais is a beach resort and we went there in June and walked down to Estoril too. If you need to stay at the beach, reduce it to one night, give the other night to historic Evora.

Posted by
1680 posts

You are correct in that the Albatroz is amazing. The views are great and it’s steps from restaurants, the Paradao (walk way along the bay) and train station. However, if there is an express bus to the airport I don’t know about it! But, Uber’s are plentiful. I just pulled up the trip to the airport from my house (a bit out of the center of town) and it was €26.
It’s very easy to go to Evora on the train for a day trip or overnight. Evora is very nice and very different from a Cascais so it depends on your interests.
The biggest Christmas market is in Rossio in Lisbon and compared to other European Christmas markets, isn’t a lot. My memory is it starts around the first of December. Cascais has a few Christmas booths in little wooden huts around town. But, certainly not a true Christmas market in the European sense.

For more than a night or two, I always prefer apartments but, again, it’s really your preference that counts.

November and December can be really lovely or pretty awful, weather wise. But, it won’t freeze and if it does rain, it’s usually not an entire day event. Be certain to bring a raincoat, though.